Binti (Binti, 1)
"Prepare to fall in love with Binti." --Neil Gaiman
Winner of the Hugo Award and the Nebula Award for Best Novella!Her name is Binti, and she is the first of the Himba people ever to be offered a place at Oomza University, the finest institution of higher learning in the galaxy. But to accept the offer will mean giving up her place in her family to travel between the stars among strangers who do not share her ways or respect her customs. Knowledge comes at a cost, one that Binti is willing to pay, but her journey will not be easy. The world she seeks to enter has long warred with the Meduse, an alien race that has become the stuff of nightmares. Oomza University has wronged the Meduse, and Binti's stellar travel will bring her within their deadly reach. If Binti hopes to survive the legacy of a war not of her making, she will need both the gifts of her people and the wisdom enshrined within the University, itself -- but first she has to make it there, alive. The Binti Series
Book 1: Binti
Book 2: Binti: Home
Book 3: Binti: The Night Masquerade PRAISE FOR BINTI "Binti is a supreme read about a sexy, edgy Afropolitan in space! It's a wondrous combination of extra-terrestrial adventure and age-old African diplomacy. Unforgettable!" -- Wanuri Kahiu, award-winning Kenyan film director of Punzi and From a Whisper
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Community Reviews
Content warning for sci-fi violence, racism, mass murder, genocide, war crimes, and related topics. I really liked this novella, but as usual, I wished it was longer. I think the reconciliation was rushed and I had a hard time believing that the college was really okay with what happened on the ship. I liked Binti and thought she was an engaging narrator, even if it felt a little YA at times. The worldbuilding is incredible, and I'm seriously considering reading the rest of the series.
Here are the things I liked: the writing, the main character, the world-building, the main character's culture, and her mathematical skills, interests, and basically magic. What I didn't like: the plot and the simplistic resolution thereof. Given the level of violence in the story, the resolution is just impossible for me to move past.
The author is new to me and I am so much enjoying her novels. I love the striking imagery for both the real and the fictional, the strong, self-willed females, and the incorporation of cultures I was unfamiliar with -- not to mention very well-written furious action and adventure. Count me as a fan.
Masterful work of short science fiction. This novella is concise, and no space is wasted. I would definitely have loved a full-length novel of this story, because this is exactly what science fiction is often missing. No minimalistic silver and white harsh aesthetic here. The plot is simple, but the eco-focused technology, blend of the traditional with futuristic, and thought-provoking themes easily hook the reader.
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